


The Black Paladins

by LittleArtemis707



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Multi, allura thinks pidge looks like a snacc, dont kill me for this, keith and lance also get spicy, shiro is BI here, they bouta fuck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-17
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-08-03 09:47:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16323914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleArtemis707/pseuds/LittleArtemis707
Summary: What happens when I took forever to post a draft of a fic that has a pairing that doesn't make sense anymore? This shit.The Black Lion chose Zarkon for a reason, But even leaders can learn from their mistakes. Now it's up to the Black Paladins to balance their team, the fate of the universe, and complicated emotions about eachother all at once. Two heads are better than one, Right?





	1. Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully I don't die. Thanks for clicking,I hope yall Like it.

Guardians of the Sky

‘’The Black lion had never in its history, chose two paladins to fly it.’’

The princess of the castle of lions looked at the ragtag group of earth paladins. At least she was sure they were all earthen. Lance looked sort of strange, and pidge was...odd herself. Hunk was bigger than the others and Allura wasn’t sure if that meant he was a different mix of humans and earthens if they even were the same thing, or if they were like alteans and earthen people came in all beautiful and wonderful forms. Keith was...average.

And Shiro was outragously attractive even with his tiny ears. But the sixth one. She was…. Surprising.

Unlike the others, she had not one defining quality. But many. She was shorter than lance, but taller than pidge, with skin lighter than the new blue paladin but in the same tone. Her hair was a short cut and colored a soft purple, fashioned up into small buns. Her eyes when she spoke were full of excited energy, and she often did speak a little too fast.

Not that allura minded very much, she needed a fast pace after a sleep like the one she had. She was comforting to the other paladins of their new roles, supportive like a yellow paladin might be. But fun, like a blue one. She was curious too, about the castle, the suits, the bayards, and everything else. A very green quality, and happy in her current role as paladin pal like allura herself and coran, happy to have a place and grateful to aide in any way she could. Like A red paladin would. Allura hadn’t seen what the black lion had, and she kicked herself for it. Because with everyone else, she’d thought it was obvious they were the guardians of the sacred lions, who belonged where.

 

 

This sixth paladin, Artemis, stood with shiro. They had known eachother longer than any of the others had, she’d met him on their first day at the garrison. She’d be part of the cartography team, and he’d been a rookie pilot. They’d grown close, her mapping the stars, and him finding out if ‘’ here there be monsters’’ might be true.

Now here, they stood infront of the doors to the black lion. Arty had to admit, Shiro looked handsome in his paladin armor. She felt so plain in her little grey poncho. Her dog, as always. Was strapped to her front, like a baby. He even looked impressed by the grand castle, mostly because he could see blue. She could feel a wave of nervous energy coming off Shiro, and could tell by the the way his jaw was set that he was uneasy about this new role. Arty put her hand on his arm, the newer one. And squeezed gently. ‘’ Nervous about your big day?’’ she asked with a tilt of her head, smiling at him. She’d said the same thing to him a lifetime ago, when she’d been there to act as his tech officer for the flight simulator, even though her specialization was map making.

Shiro looked down at her and smiled. Relaxing in the smallest way he could. ‘’Better, knowing that I don’t have to fight a evil alien race hellbent on taking some magical lions.’’ which, makes her shake her head. ‘’ Well, I’d take this one for you, but. ‘’ she gestured at herself, and the overly fluffy dog on her person. ‘’ I’m not exactly a paladin.’’ They both were silent at this.

He would be leaving her again.

And Shiro knew this didn’t sit well with her. It bothered him, but they had no choice. Before he could offer her some comfort, some promise that he’d be back this time, the other lions joined them, with little ceremony, they freed their last missing piece with a loud roar that made Arty’s dog, comet, join in. of course he howled, feeling left out. Shiro and Arty looked up at the black lion, the power, the energy it had rang throughout the entire hanger. It was incredible to witness. A little terrifying too. Arty had jumped at the sudden lion song, and Shiro had grabbed onto her to keep her in her skin, neither were in a hurry to let the other go.

But, like before, they had to.

Shiro went into the lion, HIS lion now. And sat in the seat to look upon the incredible control board and panels that made up the inside of the cockpit. It felt good to be piloting again.He took a deep breath, a deep steadying one. And readied himself to begin this new path, even though again, he was leaving behind someone important. He was making the same mistakes, or maybe the right ones. But they hurt still. Even though this time he wasn't alone, it still felt like it. He would be alone in being a leader, in making the hard choices, made even harder by knowing he'd made the worst one before. He'd left earth without saying what he needed to, breaking promises and his word. 

'' I'm ready,'' he murmurs to the empty and quiet cockpit.

But then, in a flashing light and roar, shiro is blinded for a second. He’s still in the cockpit of the lion, but he’s shifted. He’s on the right side, and a new chair, with inverted colors sits on his left, and the Black lion’s vision is focused on not the other lions now, but on the Girl on the ground with sparkling eyes and a heart melting smile.

So much for being his lion.

The joy that runs though him is like a bolt of lighting, knowing that he was wrong again. He had been wrong! and he loved every second of it.

With a silent thank you, he came thought the speakers of the lion and said '' Well? Are you joining me or what?' We've got a team to lead.'' 

He swore she wiped away a tear, and ran to suit up and join him.


	2. Rising sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Voltron needs a nap, and Shiro learns a little of what happened while he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapters are gonna be like, sort of summaries of different season 1 episodes from here on out, we’ll get more in depth don’t worry!! Enjoy!!

  
“ No.” is all arty had said at first, when the chips were down, and they were being sucked into a warship, all desperate to pull together and form Voltron.   
“ No!” She said again, her teeth gritting and tears coming to her eyes, angry, angry tears. “ I just got here, I just got you all. I’m not going to let them have you again!”   
Again.   
Again, again again. Again  
Shiro had known what she’d meant, and felt it like a bolt of lighting, like she’d jumpstarted him. And then did what a leader is supposed to do.   
He pulled them together.

  
When all was done, team voltron had   
actually won.  
They had won, they had pulled together and defeated a entire Galra crusier with little more than a little bit of luck, and a whole lot of screaming  
Shiro and Arty had headed voltron for the first time, they’d fought together, they’d pulled their team together and had done it.

And now they were exhausted.

‘’ Follow me, Let’s get you all some sleeping clothes, something to eat, and somewhere to sleep. ‘’ The princess smiled at the team, all looked extremely exhausted. Lance especially, since he had been piloting a lion longer than the others. But, they all had a proud sort of tired energy, like they’d just pulled a all nighter to binge their favorite show. Even little Comet, as he padded alongside them, looked a little weary.

As Allura promised, there was food goo (with a little modification, it was edible for even Comet). They were all a little perplexed at the strange gooey mix, but ate none the less. Defending a planet against a alien threat tended to burn calories.   
There was a attempt by Shiro to talk through the meal, Arty joining in but also halfway asleep in her bowl of goo. “ We really did do great today team, considering we’ve never piloted alien lions.” Pidge nodded at this, and after a scoop and swallow of goo said “ I wonder if piloting regular lions takes this much out of you.” Which at the very least got a chuckle out of the others. Even Keith, who was all sleep walking at this point. Lance having to quietly ‘help’ him and push the spoon occasionally all the way past his lips.

Again, as promised, there was a a hot shower waiting for the team. There were communal showers, each with their own large and spacious stall and equip with soaps and lotions and even salts. A well sized large bath, like the kind in spas for soaking, and two private smaller baths.   
Since everyone was too tired, no one minded heading into the shower rooms all together, Lance and Keith were leaning on eachother, yawning or snoozing in Keith’s case, Pidge tried to be interested in the fresh clothes dispenser and chute for their dirty clothes, and hunk was focused on directing his fellow Paladins into their own proper stalls.   
Arty and Shiro hung back for a second, making sure no one would slip and fall in their stalls, and reminding them to take off their old clothes and not sit in the showers with them on. Once the doors were closed and the water started, they both relaxed.   
Shiro went to sit on a bench not to far from the big bath, to investigate his arm while Arty collected the bits of armor and clothes to put down the chute and find some towels. He would’ve watched her if he wasn’t so focused on trying to take off the prosthesis. He’d read before somewhere that getting one wet, or soapy wet really, wasn’t a good call even if it was alien tech.   
Unfortunately, the Galra who’d designed his arm intended for it to never be taken off, probably because it was waterproofed and such. The mechanism to unlatch it required someone to hold the actual flesh of what was left of his arm, one hand to pry and flip a clip and another to do the same on the opposite side of his bicep.   
He attempted to do it alone, shoving his hand between his thighs, to act as leverage, and using them to try and yank his arm off while he attempted to fiddle with the latches. This resulted in him knocking his head back against the wall with a wince. Comet sat at his feet, looking sleepy and amused at his conflict. And hopped up to attempt to help by licking the latches.   
“ Ew, Comet no.” Shiro chuckles as he pushes the little dog gently away. He feels instantly bad about it, because two little teddy bear looking eyes just look at him, and he sighs and moves his hand to let the little creature go back to licking. He can’t say no to the mutt, he’s always been very bad at getting anything done around the aDorable thing. And after all, the little guy is only trying to be helpful.   
“ I’m gonna hop in, you good?” Arty asks, unpinning her buns and taking down her hair.   
Like this, her hair reaches down half her back, all a wave of purples and lavenders, and a little frizzy from the heat of battle. She’s already taken off her armor and is left with the bodysuit under, she sets the last pieces down into the chute before taking in what exactly he’s doing and smiling. “ Here, let me help.” And Comet looks at her, in a sort of ‘I am helping thank you very much’ way. Shiro nods at this “ I think me and Comet can handle it, but I wouldn’t mind another hand.”   
Arty sits and looks over where her dog is licking, gently pushing him away and her bright eyes taking in every detail that they can. Shiro has always known she’s terrible at sitting still, or being still entirely, the way her eyes flick about assure that to him again.

Again.

Shiro was back, again with her. That word kept popping up. Here they were, a year later, but still as strong has they had been before. The dream team, as Adam had once called them.

Adam..

“...Arty.” Shiro asked quietly, his voice almost drowned away by the water.   
Her bright eyes meet his, and he sees something in them that nearly shatters his resolve.   
“ What...How is...” and he sees the bright fade a little. She knows what he’s asking and it hurts her to even think of a answer.   
“ He...He moved on. We all tried to. When we heard...He’s with someone really nice now. They’re not...official but. They’ve been inseparable.”   
Shiro felt a lump in his throat. Arty managed to wiggle off his arm and set it aside. And he looked away from her, his throat tight.   
He’d called for Adam when he woke up. He’d cried out for him, he’d called for him. And had awoken to big, hurt eyes, because Arty had been there instead.   
“...Was he there?” He asked quietly.   
Arty wipes off the freed prosthetic, setting it aside and nodding. “ He’d been there. At first. But seeing you strapped to a table...I mean that would’ve made anyone’s heart hurt.”   
In all their years together, Adam had never been a coward. He’d never shied away from a problem, a challenge. But he approached things with caution. With a plan. Shiro was unlike him in that way, though he liked to have some idea of what he was getting himself into, he didn’t mind throwing himself into the fray. He had been dying after all, what else was there to lose?

But he had ran, instead of staying. Instead of trying to calm shiro, or to talk. He’d ran for the first time in his life. 

It hurt more than shiro liked to think about.

With little more ceremony, he got up and went to a bathroom stall to shower. Forgetting to thank Arty, and just hoping the hot water could burn away his heartache.


	3. After Noon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arty and Shiro are falling into step with being leaders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter sort of glosses over the episodes before it, this chapter focuses on the episode ''fall of the castle of lions''

 

Arus was a peaceful planet, the perfect place for the Paladins to train, to grow, and to fuck up when the chance came. 

It was because of these fuck ups that probably caught the attention of the arusans. 

That’s probably also why they were attacked again so soon. And Arty was becoming frustrated at how easily they were always found. 

But being in Voltron, being in the black lion, it gave her a sense of control. It comforted her. Ontop of that, she felt like more and more the team was starting to not just listen to shiro, brilliant as he was, but her too. Like she finally had proved herself, and kept proving her usefulness. 

For instance, during a simple training session in the castles training room, the whole team had faced off against the gladiator again. It was them against the giant machine and they hadn’t been winning at all. 

“ We are never gonna beat this thing, it keeps dodging every time one of us come at it!” Which, she expected to hear from Keith, not Pidge who currently looked twice as furious as she’d ever seen the little genius look. 

‘’Then we need to stop attacking it one at a time, remember as voltron we’re one single entity, and this thing is programed to fight voltron.’’ Arty almost didn’t know what she was going for when she started talking but was thankful it wasn’t something stupid like ‘we can only defeat it with teamwork!’. 

The idea seemed to spread well enough to the other paladins, and Arty lead the charge, shouting that hunk and lance go for the legs, keith and pidge the arms, and she and shiro would go for the head and torso. 

They ended up all just clinging to the robot, and after hunk realized he needed to take out the legs, they ended up as a pile ontop of the gladiator. 

While technically, they’d defeated it, it was in such a ridiculous fashion that Allura and Coran couldn’t stop laughing to actually count it on their ‘Paladin score board’ that Arty and Comet had made the night before. 

 

After that, Shiro and Arty easily shared more of the ‘lead’ in being a leader, and when the Robeast had attacked, it had come in handy. 

Shiro couldn’t stop the flashes and the phantom pains of his arm, not that anyone blamed him, he literally lost his arm and almost his nose during his time imprisoned by the Galra, and Arty being there to take control of the Black Lion while Shiro couldn’t did wonders for him. 

There was something about watching her fill into a role so easily, so quickly, that brought a smile to his face and warm pride  to his heart. Which, he didn’t dwell on during the fight with the gladiator, obviously, but after he did think on it. She was still Arty, the girl who stopped to scoop up every ladybug and earthworm on the concrete to put into the grass or dirt. Who took joy in just a simple warm mug of tea or coffee. Who knitted her dog sweaters and hat’s even though Comet didn’t enjoy wearing a single one. But now she was also Arty, the girl who could command team voltron and pilot the Black Lion alone. Who he’d caught fighting the gladiator on the hardest setting and gotten her ass handed to her, but had been grateful for the chance to learn, and had put the thing away with a blanket to sleep with.

 

It was something he didn’t dwell on, but whenever he did, it was always at the worst time possible. Like say, at a party for the native Arusans when he needed to be focused on watching the perimeter. 

Arty hadn’t been seen during the start of the little party. Comet of course usually did his own thing, and was happily eating up any snacks that he was given, and only stopping to come and see what Shiro was up to. And he gave Shiro such a knowing look, the Black Paladin was sure the dog knew who he was thinking about. ‘’ Its not like that’’ he insists to the tiny mammal. Who, looks unconvinced of whatever Shiro was trying to say. ‘’ I’m just, amazed by how much she hasn’t changed in the past year.’’ to which, the dog scratched his ear, and Shiro decided to scoop up the creature and pet him. ‘’ I know you know what I mean don’t play dumb.’’ he scratches his ears affectionately. ‘’Where is your mom anyway, little guy?’’ 

Comet looks up, at the top of the stairs where Arty is standing.

She isn’t dressed in civilian clothing, or the space suit Allura gave to her in lew of not having a actual paladin suit. 

Instead she’s wearing full on Paladin armor, her hair half up and half down, her armor is black and white like his, but where the ‘V’ of the chevron pattern meets it becomes glass, like a sort of triangle window. The window isn’t clear glass, but crystal-like, and it catches the light and reflects it in vibrant shards as if she’s a living prism. 

She was making her way down the staircase, but is stopped by some Arusan’s who chirp in excited greeting, her expression is of pleasant surprise and she stops to talk and bend down to let them see the cool add on to her chest piece. She turns to look behind her and help up a child who’s trying to climb her back, and Shiro smiles when he sees the same crystal inbeded into her back, ontop of her jetpack in the shape of wings. 

She looks up and even across the room, spots him. ‘amazing right?’ she mouths, gesturing at her armor, and Shiro chuckles and mouths back ‘Awesome’. 

 

His attention quickly turns to Coran, who’s offering him something in a cup. But stops and looks between Shiro, and Arty, and the dog still in Shiro’s arms. 

‘’Ah, Incredible isn’t it? She’s been working on that non-stop since the first attack. She’s very creative you know, those crystals are almost useless unless connected to a thermal energy source, which, I should’ve seen the idea to put them into clothing, but she beat me to it and made it look fashionable too!’’ Coran pushes the cup more towards Shiro, and once Comet smells it, promptly dips and runs back to Arty. Who happily scoops up her dog and joins the rest of the party. 

“ Yeah. Incredible.” Shiro murmurs, watching her a little longer, then turning to look back at the open doors of the castle. 

Coran chuckles and asks “ Her or the suit?” And shiro hunches his shoulders, blushing. “ I mean the whole team is. They’re incredibly talented, bright and brilliant, hilarious too.” He nods to the miserable lance and laughing hunk and Keith. 

“ Yes they do make a wonderful team, with two wonderful leaders. “ Coran smiles again, giving him a cup and then wandering off to check up on everyone else. 

Shiro turns back, spotting Arty now talking to a ‘tower’ of arusans. They stack ontop of one another and the one at the top kisses her hand, which makes her laugh makes him smile, and the tower attempts to try to dance with her, and she’s trying her best to humor them, though there’s no music. She catches his eye and he mouths the word ‘sing’ to her, grinning still. 

Arty shakes her head. Giving him a knowing look and mouthing ‘not anymore!’ But, there’s a glimmer in her eye. Like she just might. Just to humor him too. 

 

The black Paladin watches her, then quickly looks back to the open front doors of the castle.

He decides the best way to actually keep the party safe and smooth is to go walking around the grounds that surround the castle. It feels good, to have a routine thing to do. Something familiar. 

Thankfully he can keep his head about him the farther is he’s from the party, from the laughing and noise. Though Arty was a good distraction, he was getting overwhelmed in there. Not that, the leader of Voltron can get overwhelmed.

He sets about walking and checking, nothing on his mind other than the clearing around the castle, and the quiet the night sky gives him. He and Adam used to go on long walks like this. Not for long though, as Adam worried over him constantly, worried too much walking would wear him out and he wouldn’t be able to do the slightest thing if he was worn down. Arty hadn’t been quiet that protective of him, but did advise he take it easy, for Adam’s sake, as they both knew he tended to worry about nothing. 

Said ‘guardian of the sky’ is thinking back to a time when Matt used to treat him like glass when he hears a familiar ‘’ Hey Shiro’’ from Pidge, Who’s jogging up to him. 

  
  


Arty enjoy’s herself throughly at parties, she always has. Even Parties with strange cute alien’s who consider voltron a god, and Allura a goddess. Pidge has mentioned they aren’t wrong, Allura is stunning by all means, Arty clearly can see that and blushes whenever Allura focuses those strange beautiful eyes on her. 

Comet too, Enjoys the party, whenever he’s offered food, he greedily munches it up, ignoring Arty’s earlier warning about pacing himself. 

Though part of her dares considering following Shiro around, she also decides its best to not be a nusance to him. Her reasoning is the most logical she’s ever reasoned with herself, he wasn’t into her. Aside from being friends, aside from being teammates and co-pilots, Takashi Shirogane had no interest in her. And that was fine, wasn’t it? Arty let her feet carry her away as her thoughts descended down that particular path of her mind. It was fine, everything was fine. Shiro was alive and back by her side, that meant more to her than anything else. All other arguements in her, eventually ended in the one undeniable shred of evidence. 

_ He had called for adam. _

When he woke up, he’d called for  _ Adam. _ Shiro’s heart belonged to someone else, and if a year imprisoned by the Galra proved anything, it could never be her’s. Because in the year apart, his love for Adam hadn’t frayed. And that was enough for her to shut down any arguement with herself. That maybe, maybe, he could see her finally, and love her too.

It almost hurts too much to think about, so she tries to put her mind on something else. Like where she was in the castle. She can hear Lance’s voice, and figures if anyone can help distract her, it’s going to be him.

She opens the door, and is a foot over the threshold when the entire room suddenly throws out a hot wave of air and blasts her back. 

**Author's Note:**

> This was written before THE SHIRO reveal, I edited it recently, but this shit was written before and I'm gonna keep writting it because I'm really proud of myself ok. Please let me know what you think, I'm excited to hear anything


End file.
